


Destiny and the Domino Effect

by Polywantsanother



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, but it goes horribly wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 00:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19414480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polywantsanother/pseuds/Polywantsanother
Summary: A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.Katara gets on the road of introspection.





	Destiny and the Domino Effect

The day Katara got her mark, she was beset by nervous laughter. Her hands shook and Suki had to take the picture for her YoPic account. Aang smiled patiently and placed his hand on the table palm down. After taking a breath, Katara set hers down, having their pinkies touch. Suki took the picture and handed the phone to Aang, as Katara was still shaking.

_It’s a match! #GotMarked #Blessed #ToldYaWeWereSoulmates_

The rest of the day was a blur. They had to call Hakoda and the congratulatory texts started to pour in. Needing a moment to herself, Katara went into the bedroom of their apartment and shut the door. As she sat on the edge of the bed, she felt her phone buzz and pulled it out of her pocket.

_Guess I’m the last one left. You owe me a very expensive bottle of wine._

Katara smiled and let her shoulders fall.

The Soulmate’s mark was anxiety inducing. As soon as the person was “sure” or in a place where they could safely admit their feelings, then the mark would pop up. This meant that one person could get their mark before their partner.

Sometimes it ended fine. Sokka had gotten his before Suki, and the weeks between had kind of been a mess. When he stressed, he worried that his attitude would delay Suki’s mark even more, and other times he just held onto his belief that Suki’s mark would match his. And it did.

Sometimes it ended horribly. Mai hadn’t been bothered when she had gotten her mark while Zuko would boil over from time to time from the anxiety. Then, one day and matter-of-fact, Mai informed him that someone else had her mark and she left. 

Book-ending these events was this pairing. Aang had gotten his mark very early into knowing Katara, and had been convinced from day one that it was meant for her. After every holiday, birthday, special event, or particularly romantic date, Katara would stare at her hands, willing them to change.   
Toph had to intervene, dragging both her and Zuko out to a very weird resort for two weeks. Katara could only remember a few of those days, as the rest had been obliterated by alcohol or sheer terror from the “bonding excursions” Toph had planned.

One night, she and Zuko had escaped. They hid themselves away and talked about everything other than their lack of marks. At the end, they had agreed that whomever got their mark first had to buy the other a very expensive bottle of wine.

_I’ll buy you the finest vintage I can find in the FastMart._

Katara sent the text and fell backward onto the bed. Lifting up her arm, she looked at the back of her hand.

The marks were supposed to be special. It represented the couple and was supposed to be meaningful.

Aang said their mark was a mix of their cultures, but Katara only saw a curled arrow.

Katara covered her face with her hands and sighed.

Aang wasn’t a big traditionalist, so they had agreed on a small ceremony. Still, there was planning to do, and Katara did most of the running around. Aang helped when he was asked, but offered no input, saying he didn’t mind since at the end they would be just as married no matter what happened.

So weeks passed and Katara barely had time to think. With the mounting stress, Aang decided it would be best if he gave her space. He and a group from his work had planned an office trip to a nearby mountain to go skiing and would be gone for the weekend.

“You should try to relax. Why don’t you hang out or something?” He said and kissed her goodbye.  
When Katara did see Zuko again, he was the one with the wine. She let him into the apartment and ushered Appa back onto his massive pillow. Even though he always said it was fine, Katara always felt bad about the dog hair that invariably ended up covering Zuko’s nice clothes.

They transitioned in a rush of radio static. She fumbled over his congratulations, thanking him for the wine. Holding out her hands to take his coat but being handed the bottle. They laughed, and Katara stared at the label in silence as Zuko hung up his coat. Then Katara remembered she had to uncork it and darted into the kitchen.

She asked about his drive as she dug in the corkscrew. He answered apathetically as he moved around her to grab two glasses. She frowned as she tried to pull the cork out and he chuckled. At his insistence, she handed him the bottle and saw her mark. She lowered her hand to her side as he pulled out the cork with a loud POP! He handed her the bottle, talking about the vintage, and she poured. He twisted the cork off the screw and mentioned a new take out place had opened a few blocks away. She replied it didn’t have many vegetarian options so she didn’t eat there often. She handed him a glass and took up her own.

“Cheers.” Katara said.

“Congratulations.” Zuko replied and they clinked glasses.

Katara took a slow sip and looked back down at the counter. The cork looked like one of the government seal stamps. The corkscrew was neatly folded next to it like a closed inkpad.

“So how do you feel?” Zuko asked. Katara swirled her glass and watched the oily arches.

“Relieved.” She answered quickly.

“Not excited?”

Katara looked over at him.

“Should I be?”

“Well, I mean, most people don’t sound so…”

“So what?”

“Most couples are just more excited when they match.”

“Well, we all already knew it was coming, right?”

“Not everything is a sure thing.”

Katara and Zuko turned away from each other as they drank in silence. Katara leaned against the counter as Zuko walked to the other side. She set down her glass and started to spin the corkscrew.

“It was just a lot of pressure. Having his expectation and nothing ever happening.” Katara stopped the corkscrew. “It’s nice to not have to worry about it.”

When Zuko didn’t respond, Katara looked up at him.

“What?”

“When did it happen?”

“My mark?”

“Yeah.”

Katara covered up her hesitation by drinking more of her wine.

“I just made the decision to be sure.”

“So you resigned yourself to it?”

“That’s not.” Katara felt her whole body warm as she lurched forward. “That is crossing the line Zuko.”

“You are absolutely right and I sincerely apologize for that.” Zuko sighed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. He finally gave in and leaned against the opposite corner, but still kept hold of his glass.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it isn’t. I’m being a jerk because I’m frustrated and I will do better to not be such a jerk.”

Katara looked down at her glass.

“I appreciate you letting me off the hook so easy,” Zuko said. “but you don’t need to cover for my bad behavior.”

Katara snapped her eyes back up. “Do you think that’s what I’m doing?”

Zuko flinched and his eyes widened. “I, no? I just mean, I was told I should rely on other people making my apologies for me.”

“Yeah, but I already know you. I know that if I call you out and you apologize, you mean it. We already got to this point.”

Zuko gave her a wry smile. “You were the first one to trust me.”

Katara gave a sharp laugh, but then sighed. “And you understood me.”

They lapsed into silence again, and the air felt cool between them.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked.

They talked until they finished the bottle. Then, while Katara ordered takeout from the new place, Zuko ran down to his car, bringing up two more. They talked over food and the next bottle. They talked as they took Appa out on a night walk. They talked as they sat on the floor of the kitchen, sharing the cold remains of takeout and the last bottle.

They never stayed on one topic for long, and as the night crept past midnight, Katara wouldn’t have been able to follow one thread anyway.

“Did I ever tell you about-” Katara stopped herself and snapped her mouth shut. Zuko tilted his head and looked at her.

“What?”

“No, I know I told you already.”

“Tell me again.”

“No, that’s boring.”

“You thought about it for a reason. I want to know what just popped into your head and then I am going to evis-, eviths-, evisceserate the reason for my own amusement.”

“You’re drunk.”

“Oh I forgot to say.”

“What?”

“Nice glass house you got here.”

Zuko took a drink as Katara picked up a chopstick and threw it at him.

At some point, she fell asleep. She could remember Zuko carrying her to bed and when she woke, there was a glass of water and two white tablets.

When Katara exited her bedroom, she was more hydrated, in her pajamas, and a little bit cleaner. The rest of her apartment was quiet, and she wondered if Zuko had already left.

Then she walked into the living room and saw him splayed out on the couch.

Leaving him there, Katara set about making breakfast. When the eggs were frying, Zuko shuffled in and grabbed a piece of bacon on his way to the coffee pot.

“How are you feeling buddy?” Katara asked, smiling as she swirled the eggs with chopsticks.

“Rough.” He mumbled

“Go wash your face or something. It’ll help.”

Zuko made some sort of grumbling grunt and shuffled to the bathroom. He had not abandoned his coffee mug.

They ate and when Katara took Appa out, Zuko cleaned up. She was surprised that she found him ready to leave when she returned.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yeah. I have to get some things done.”

Katara stayed quiet as she knelt down to unclip Appa’s leash. Once free, Appa bounded away to his water bowl. She watched the dog’s shaggy body wiggle as he lapped greedily, making the bowl jump on the rubber mat.

A pale hand came into view and Katara took it. Her hand still held the leash, so she looked down as once again she was awkwardly fumbling.

Then she saw the hand.

“Or are you meeting someone?” Katara asked slyly.

“What do you mean?”

Katara, still holding Zuko’s hand, held it up with a broad grin.

“You got your mark!” She said excitedly. As happy as she knew she was, her hangover made her stomach sour and it felt like an empty pit.

“Are you serious?” Zuko blurted.

Not wanting to see his face, Katara looked at their clasped hands.

“It looks like a wave of fire.” Zuko said.

“I know.” Katara whispered, seeing the exact same mark.

And no curling arrow.


End file.
